JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that JLB Charlie Hunt signed with the Jacksonville Sharks for his fifth year with the team.

Hunt (6’4”, 220) spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Sharks from 2011-2014 before retiring from arena football. In 2017, the Jacksonville native came out of retirement and was one of the first Sharks to rejoin the team after Jacksonville moved to the National Arena League. Hunt’s come back marked a career year the linebacker, as he racked up 36.5 tackles, seven pass breakups and seven interceptions for 147 yards. Hunt not only helped lead the Sharks to a National Arena League Championship, but was also named the NAL’s Defensive Player of the Year and gained First Team All-NAL honors.

During Hunt’s career he has amassed 151 tackles, 25 pass breakups and 16 interceptions for the Sharks. Prior to his time with the Sharks, he played for the Wyoming Calvary (2010) and Utah Saints (2009) of the American Indoor Football Association (AIF). Hunt spent his college career at Florida State University and is a native of Jacksonville, Fl where he played for University Christian High School.

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions play all home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2017 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as $99. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that quarterback Tommy Grady signed with the Jacksonville Sharks for his ninth year of arena football and fourth season with the Jacksonville Sharks.

Grady (6’7”, 250) started the first six games last season for the Sharks before suffering a foot injury against the Monterrey Steel to end his season. Prior to injury, Grady threw 71 completions for 1060 yards and 23 touchdowns. Grady only had one interception, earned NAL Offensive Player of the Week twice and was on his way to becoming the NAL MVP before being injured.

During Grady’s eight year career he has completed 2,864 passes for 33,068 yards and 724 touchdowns.The 6’7 quarterback earned Offensive MVP in 2012 with Utah Blaze and has won many awards throughout his career including Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Arena Honors. The Sharks star quarterback played for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2010), Utah Blaze (2011-13) and Pittsburgh Power (2014) before joining the Sharks in 2015.

Grady began his collegiate career at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of Utah. Grady is a native of Huntington Beach, California and currently resides in Jacksonville.

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions play all home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2017 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as $99. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.

Allentown, PA: The National Arena League’s 2017 Franchise of the Year, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, will be holding their first open tryout for the 2018 season on Saturday, September 9th at The Rink at Lehigh Valley (Located at 3323 7th Street, Whitehall, PA). Registration will start at 8:00am. Player evaluations will begin promptly at 9:00am. Players can pre-register online (www.LVSteelhawks.com) for $50, or the cost will be $65 the day of. Cost includes evaluation, drills, and testing by the Steelhawks Professional Coaching Staff, as well as a Steelhawks t-shirt.

Registration is now available online, at the Steelhawks website, www.lvsteelhawks.com. In past years the Steelhawks have found current Buffalo Bill and former ‘Hawks Defensive Back Joe Powell at an open tryout, as well as 2017 NAL 2nd Team Offensive Lineman Bret Piekarski. Do YOU have what it takes to be part of the black and vegas gold for 2018?

Deposits on Steelhawks 2018 season tickets can be made now! All Steelhawks games are played on Embassy Bank Field inside the PPL Center.

Look for more news soon about the Steelhawks visit the team web site at www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest updates.

JACKSONVILLE – The 2017 National Arena League Champion Jacksonville Sharks announced today that they will hold open player tryouts from September 2017 to February 2018. The team will tour 20 cities to allow players from all over the United States a chance to try out for the Jacksonville Sharks. The Open Tryout Tour will begin in Orlando, FL Saturday, September 2 and end in Jacksonville, FL Saturday, February 17. During that span the Sharks will go to 13 states to evaluate players during single day open tryout sessions led by Head Coach Siaha Burley. A full list of locations and dates for the Open Tryout Tour can be found below.

Pre-Registration for the tryouts can be found online at jaxsharks.com/team/tryouts. Pre-Registration is the preferred method for tryouts and includes a $70 registration fee. Pre-Registration for a tryout location will end seven-days prior to each open tryout and players are allowed to sign up for multiple tryout locations. Any players that sign up for an open tryout during the week of the open tryout will be charged a $80 registration fee. Walk-In registration will be accepted with a $100 registration fee. All players attending an open tryout must arrive at the registration table prior to the open tryout by 8:00 a.m. with their open tryout “One Day Waiver” and their photo I.D. The workout is set to start promptly at 9:00 a.m. The tryout will conclude once each player has been properly evaluated by head coach Siaha Burley and the Sharks coaching staff.

Those wishing to participate in the tryout must complete their Pre-Registration form online prior to the open tryout or complete the Walk-In Registration form on the day of the tryout. Players that do not complete their Pre-Registration and submit their registration fee will be asked to complete the Walk-In Registration form and pay the Walk-In fee. Money order or cashier’s checks made out to the Jacksonville Sharks will be the only form of payment accepted on the day of the tryout.

This year’s tryouts will consist of a combination of drills, including the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle and various position-specific drills. Please note that the tryouts will take place on either natural grass or turf surfaces and players are required to bring appropriate footwear.

The tryout is open to anyone over the age of 18 who has completed high school and is not currently under contract with any professional football team.

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The 2017 NAL Champions, ArenaBowl XXIV Champions and four-time South Division Champions play all home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2017 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as $99. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.]]> trey.braid@outlook.com (Super User)Mon, 14 Aug 2017 22:21:27 GMThttp://nationalarenaleague.com/news-m/310-sharks-announce-2018-open-tryout-tour-nal-champions-to-hold-open-tryouts-in-20-cities.htmlNAL Announces Teams for 2018 Play - Northeast Bolstered by Expansionhttp://nationalarenaleague.com/news-m/308-nal-announces-teams-for-2018-play-northeast-bolstered-by-expansion.html

Atlanta, GA – The National Arena League announced today its intentions for 2018 NAL member teams. The Columbus Lions, Georgia Firebirds, High Country Grizzlies, Jacksonville Sharks, Jersey Flight, Lehigh Valley Steelhawks and Monterrey Steel have committed to the 2018 season.

Earlier in the week, the NAL Advisory Board granted conditional approval for the following markets: 1) Providence, Rhode Island; 2) Boston, Massachusetts; 3) Richmond, Virginia; and 4) Orlando, Florida. Ownership is in place in all markets and the condition is that the leases are finalized in their respective markets by mid-August. More markets are expected to be finalized in the next few weeks.

“We have realized that geographic locations of member teams is only a minor factor in the expansion and the growth of the NAL, stated Commissioner John Gregory. The most important factors are owners that have capable operators and a commitment and passion to arena football. We set no geographic boundaries or limitations on ourselves. We want the best partners.”

The NAL expansion deadline is August 15.

“We feel that all member teams must be ready to go by mid-August in order to maintain a sound business model, Gregory continued. We are aiming for an October 1 schedule for our teams to maximize season ticket and group sales opportunities. It is football and we all love arena football, but it is the business of football and we must implement these strategies to maintain a strong foundation for success.”

About the NAL

The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premiere league in arena football. The league currently has franchises in both the United States and Mexico. For more information on the NAL visit nationalarenaleague.com or view us on social media at facebook.com/nationalareanaleague, twitter.com/nalfootball, instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.

Allentown, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks are proud to announce that their star quarterback has been named National Arena League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2017 season. In addition, the team was also honored with the Head Coach of the Year Award, and Most Improved Player of the Year award in wide receiver Warren Oliver Jr.

In addition to being named 1st Team All-NAL, QB Warren Smith Jr. also took top honors in 2017, being named the league’s first ever MVP. Smith led the league in most passing categories including passing yards, touchdowns, completions and completion percentage.

Head Coach Chris Thompson was also named Coach of the Year in the NAL’s inaugural season. The award comes after leading the Steelhawks to a 9-1 regular season and their 6th straight playoff appearance. While Thompson is the Offensive Coordinator and Head Coach, the rest of the coaching staff is a part of the team’s success and so a part of this award as well – Defensive Coordinator Bob Kohler, Special Teams Coordinator/OL Coach Ken Miller, WR Coach Dan Kelly, DL Coach Todd Shimko, LB Coach Lo Locust, Offensive Quality Control Vinnie Elskamp, and Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Cerimele.

Wide receiver Warren Oliver Jr. came away with the award for Most Improved Player. After seeing limited action last season, usually as the number four receiver, Oliver Jr. came into the 2017 season and earned a starting position from day one. He played in all eleven games for the ’Hawks and more than doubled his production from a season ago, finishing the season with 15 touchdowns on 50 catches and 575 yards. His 23 career touchdowns are good for third most in franchise history.

Head Coach Chris Thompson is proud to have his two players honored. “I can’t say enough about both of these Warren’s and the seasons they had for us. It is a credit to their work-ethic and professional approach each week to the task at hand. They are two big reasons why we had arguably the most talented and potent offense in all of the National Arena League this year. They both have bright futures and will continue to do well in everything they do. They definitely

have qualities we look for in our players here in the Lehigh Valley.”League awards were presented on Sunday, July 9th at the 1st Annual NAL Banquet held prior to the NAL Championship game.

2018 season tickets can be reserved now! Keep checking for the latest news and events from the Steelhawks. For further information please call Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Clark at (610) 282-3100, or visit our website at www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest Steelhawks news. Reserve your seat now by calling the Steelhawks office at 610-282-3100. The Steelhawks play all of their home games on Embassy Bank Field inside the PPL Center.

Stay up to date with the Steelhawks by visiting the team website at www.LVSteelhawks.com or following them on Facebook: Lehigh Valley Steelhawks.

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Columbus Lions 27-21 in the National Arena League Championship to become NAL Champions in front of 9,730 of the best fans in the league.

The first points on the board went to the Sharks as Derrick Ross found the endzone on a short run from the goal line. Micheaux Robinson had a huge interception at the goal line as Columbus tried to retaliate.

Before the half, the Sharks pulled out an incredible never-before-seen play, where Damien Fleming tossed the ball back to Mo Williams who delivered a perfect pass to Mo Ruffins right into the endzone. With two missed field goals by the Lions in the last minute of the half, the Sharks successfully shut out Columbus from scoring in the first two quarters and led 13-0 going into halftime. .

At the beginning of the third quarter, the Lions scored their first points with a touchdown from Mason Espinosa to Tristan Purifoy. Damien Fleming went down hard and was replaced by Jason Boltus. The Sharks struck back towards the end of the third quarter with a short pass to Mo Williams from Bolus to allow the Sharks to go up 20-7.

Columbus made a run to catch up, scoring a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. It was later retaliated by Devin Wilson. Columbus came back and scored again to make the score a close 27-21. In the final minute, the Lions were driving down the field to score and potentially win the game. With four seconds left and less than ten yards to go, they fumbled and it was recovered by Jermiah Price to give the Sharks the ball and win the game with the most exciting finish of the season.

Most Valuable Player of the Game: DL Jermiah Price, Jacksonville

Offensive Player of the Game: WR Mo Williams, Jacksonville

Defensive Player of the Game: DB Micheaux Robinson, Jacksonville

Special Teams Player of the Game: K Nick Belcher, Jacksonville

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions play all home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2017 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as $99. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.]]> trey.braid@outlook.com (Super User)Thu, 27 Jul 2017 19:49:34 GMThttp://nationalarenaleague.com/news-m/306-jacksonville-sharks-2017-nal-champions-sharks-defeat-lions-27-21-in-national-arena-league-championship.htmlNAL Releases Releases 2017 Awards Steelhawks QB Warren Smith named League MVPhttp://nationalarenaleague.com/news-m/305-nal-releases-releases-2017-awards-steelhawks-qb-warren-smith-named-league-mvp.html

JACKSONVILLE – The National Arena League announced their player awards yesterday, including Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Special Teams Player of the Year.

Lehigh Valley quarterback Warren Smith Jr. was named MVP for his standout performance this season. Smith dominated the league offensively the entire season. He led the league in total offense, total offensive yards, total touchdowns, passing average per game, passing yards, and passing completions. Smith had 2,053 total yards and 56 touchdowns. No player came close to competing with Smith Jr.’s numbers. The league's second highestpasser had 1,674 total yards and 30 touchdowns. Additionally, Smith had the second best ranked pass efficiency in the league with 109.2, only 0.6 away from first place. Smith earned Offensive Player of the Week four times thisseason and helped the Steelhawks to their best year in team history. The 27 year old was previously named the 2014 PIFL MVP. Playing in arena football since 2012, he split his collegiate career between Iona College and theUniversity of Maine. Smith has also earned a spot on the 2017 All-NAL First Team Offense.

Michael Reeve of the Columbus Lions earned the NAL Offensive Player of the Year award. It’s safe to say that the 6’7” wide receiver was a huge contributing factor in helping the Lions to the Championship Game. He leadsthe league in receptions (73), reception yards (809), and reception touchdowns (21). This is Reeve’s second year in arena football with the Columbus Lions. Reeve played college football at Western Oregon as a star receiverbefore making his way to the Lions.

Jacksonville’s Charlie Hunt took the League Award for Defensive Player of the Year. The Jack Linebacker has been a source of consistency for the Sharks’ defense this 2017 season, ranking first on the team with seveninterceptions. He ranked within the top three in the league for interception returns (7), interception return yards (147), and interception return touchdowns (2). Hunt finished the regular season with 36.5 tackles, seven passbreakups, and a forced fumble. Hunt is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and attended college at Florida State University. He is a four-year Shark veteran, playing for the team since 2011 and taking a year off in 2013. He wasa team captain during the 2017 season and earned 2017 All-NAL First Team Defense.

Nick Belcher brought the Special Teams Player of the Year award home for Jacksonville as well. Belcher dominated the league on special teams the entire season. He is not only is the league’s top scoring kicker with114 points, but also leads the NAL’s kickers averaging about 10 points a game. Belcher went 76 for 89 in PATs. This is only Belcher’s second year in arena football. He previously was a star kicker for the Cedar Rapids Titansand is a native of Charleston, South Carolina.

In other player awards Warren Oliver of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks won Most Improved Player, Sergio Schiaffino of the Monterrey Steel won Defensive Rookie of the Year and Malachi Jones won Offensive Rookie ofthe Year.

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks will return to the Shark Tank on Monday, July 10 for the National Arena League Championship as they host the Columbus Lions at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

The Sharks have handed Columbus two losses this season and the Lions enter the Shark Tank looking for redemption as they face off for the 2017 NAL Championship. The winner of this game will make history as the inaugural NAL Champions.

Whether you are a longtime Season Ticket Holder or about to head to your first Sharks game, please see below for a rundown of what to expect at the Shark Tank Monday night!

Suite/Duval Street EntranceThis entrance will be open for all current Sharks season tickets holders starting at 6:00 p.m. After that, all ticketed fans can enter through this entrance.

Noise PolicyThe Sharks allow cowbells (8” in height 6” in width max). We will continue with the policy of fans NOT being able to bring large buckets, hand held horns or aerosol air horns into the arena.

Unveiling the TrophyThe NAL Championship Trophy will be available for all fans to take pictures with from 6-7pm on the Main Concourse across from the merchandise stand by Section 106.

HalftimeThere will be a special halftime performance by our Attack Dance Team followed by a southern rock artist Melissa Smith.

Attack Dance Team CalendarThe 2017-2018 Attack Dance Team Calendar has been released! Calendars will be on sale for $10 at the merchandise stand and on the field following the game. The 2017-2018 dancers that appear in this year calendar will be announced during the game to debut their 2017-18 calendar photo.

Fling-A-Football

How’s your aim? Our halftime Fling-A-Football promotion gives you a chance to win a prize package that includes $200 of Sharks Bucks and a Sharks customized jersey! At just $1 per throw (and 6 for $5), you might as well give it a shot! Be sure to have your mini-footballs ready when halftime rolls around! Fling-A-Footballs are available for purchase at the Jaguar Power Sports display at SharkFest, as well as inside the arena on the main concourse until the middle of the second quarter.

Doors OpenOn Saturday, the doors open at 6:00 p.m. for season ticket holders and 6:30 p.m. for the general public. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions play all their home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2018 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as 2 seats for $150. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on Facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.

The National Arena League has released the first-ever All-NAL Offensive roster, and the Lions have 4 players making the cut.

On first team is wide receiver #18 Michael Reeve. Reeve leads the NAL in receptions (73), reception yards (809) and TD catches (21).

3 more Lions made the All-NAL 2nd team roster, including quarterback #15 Mason Espinosa. Espinosa is most efficient QB in the NAL, with the highest pass completion percentage at 66.7%. Wide receiver #8 Tristan Purifoy gets the 2nd team nod, as he, Reeve and #6 Jarmon Fortson round out the top 3 receivers in the league in catches and reception yards. Fortson was not named on either the first or 2nd team.

Center #72 Ryne Holland on 2nd team is the only lineman from the Lions to make the All-NAL roster, despite the Lions allowing the fewest sacks in the league.

The complete roster for the All-NAL Teams can be found below.

FULL LIST OF FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-NAL OFFENSIVE PLAYERS BELOW

First-Team All-NAL

• Quarterback: Warren Smith (Lehigh Valley)

• Fullback: Derrick Ross (Jacksonville)

• Wide Receiver: Michael Reeve (Columbus)

• Wide Receiver: Darius Prince (Lehigh Valley)

• Wide Receiver: London Crawford (Monterrey)

• Offensive Lineman: Cornelius Lewis (Jacksonville)

• Offensive Lineman: Mo Ruffins (Jacksonville)

• Center: AJ Harmon (Jacksonville)

First-Team All-NAL Kick Returners

• 1st Team: Brandon Renford (Lehigh Valley)

Second-Team All-NAL

• Quarterback: Mason Espinosa (Columbus)

• Fullback: Undra Hendrix (High Country)

• Wide Receiver: Brandon Renford (Lehigh Valley)

• Wide Receiver: Moe Williams (Jacksonville)

• Wide Receiver: Triston Purifoy (Columbus)

• Offensive Lineman: Brett Piekarski (Lehigh Valley)

• Offensive Lineman: Colin Madison (Monterrey)

• Center: Ryne Holland (Columbus)

Second-Team All-NAL Kick Returners

• 2nd Team: Daron Clark (High County)

About the NAL

The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as a premiere league in arena football. The league currently has franchises in both the United States and Mexico. For more information on the NAL visit nationalarenaleague.com or view us on social media at facebook.com/nationalareanaleague, twitter.com/nalfootball, instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.]]> trey.braid@outlook.com (Super User)Sat, 08 Jul 2017 00:23:58 GMThttp://nationalarenaleague.com/news-m/303-4-columbus-lions-named-to-all-nal-offensive-squad.html